


Dangan Ronpa: Crossfire

by chaldea_archivist



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Female Protagonist, as little involvement with the main dr games as possible, except for monokuma, how could we have danganronpa without monokuma, mikio i'm so sorry you're the only dude, there's like only one dude
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-24 14:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21100772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaldea_archivist/pseuds/chaldea_archivist
Summary: "There are various eyes.  Even the Sphinx has eyes: and as a result there are various truths, and as a result there is no truth." - Friedrich Nietzsche---My first attempt at writing a killing game fic.  Oh boy.





	1. Awakening

When she came to, it was dark. Rubbing her head, Shiro sat up, looking around the darkened room she found herself in. Had someone carried her here? That wasn't a pleasant thought. If someone had carried her, they'd probably expect something, or worse, try to be nice to her. Still, the someone carrying her explanation only answered how she got here, not where she was. This clearly wasn't her bedroom at home.

Glancing down at her desk, she found a note.

> All students are to report to the courtyard at 8:00 sharp! If you don't, there'll be consequences~

Shiro decided she didn't want to find out what those consequences were. She looked around for a clock, and felt her heart almost stop when she realized just what time it was. 7:55. That gave her only five minutes to get there, and she wasn't going to waste any more time. Dropping the note, she shoved the door open and sprinted off down the hallway, without pausing to think about where in the world the courtyard was.

Shortly after leaving her room, Shiro tried to round a corner. She tripped over something on the floor and sent herself crashing into someone else, who let out a surprised yelp. As she stood up, she took a moment to look at the girl she'd crashed into. The girl was tall, and wearing a dark gray cloak. In fact, most things about this girl were dark. Shiro could see black hair under the cloak's hood, and the girl's eyes were such a dark gray that it seemed as though her pupils and irises were one. As the girl held out her hand, Shiro took note of the fact that it was covered by a black glove.

"Sorry. Call me Ayano."

Her voice was flat and monotonous, sending chills down Shiro's spine. She cautiously shook Ayano's hand. "Shiro. My apologies for crashing into you like that."

Ayano nodded, her arm disappearing back beneath her cloak. "Courtyard. Follow me." With that, she turned around and walked away. After a moment, Shiro decided that she'd rather follow this girl and risk getting murdered than risk being late to whatever was going on in the courtyard because she couldn't find where it was. She headed after Ayano, hoping she wouldn't lose the cloaked girl in the darkened hallways.

* * *

After a while of walking, Ayano and Shiro made it to a large wooden door. Ayano pushed it open, stepping out. Shiro followed her and took a quick look around.

The courtyard was a large outdoor space, bounded by four stone walls with wooden doors in each of them. Shiro wasn't sure just how big the walls are, but right now she didn't care. What was more interesting was the crowd of other people. Shiro scanned the crowd, looking for familiar dark red hair. She spotted her sister talking to a small girl with crossed arms and pale blue hair. Turning to say goodbye to Ayano, she found that the cloaked girl had already disappeared.

Oh well. If Ayano couldn't be bothered to stick around for a proper goodbye, that wasn't Shiro's problem. She shrugged, content with the fact that she knew where her older sister was, and that she'd gotten here on time. Or at least, she was probably on time. Nothing bad had happened yet.

Shiro was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of laughter. Her eyes flicked up to the source, and for a moment, she was taken aback. The source of the laughter was a tall figure wearing a mask that completely covered their face. The mask was white, with a smiling expression painted on in black. After recovering her composure, she glared up at the laughing figure, which only seemed to make them laugh harder. "And what exactly is so funny?"

Though the figure's face was covered, their tone evoked the mental image of a wide grin. "Oh, nothing. Just seeing eyes as razor-sharp as yours lost in thought! It almost takes the edge off of them! And once you glared at me, that edge came right back! My, you're rather interesting, aren't you?"

Shiro crossed her arms. "Whatever you wish to believe, I will not stop you."

The masked figure chuckled again, and held out a hand for a handshake. "To speak of other matters, I've noticed that almost all of us seem to have an Ultimate Talent. May I ask yours? And your name, as well. It would not do to speak to such a beautiful lady and not ask her name~"

Shiro didn't take their hand. "Shiro Akemi. Ultimate Exorcist."

"Won't even take my hand? Such a shame... oh well, I suppose that's to be expected from a girl with razor-sharp eyes like yours. You may know me as Mask. And as more my talent, well... telling you that would make things boring, wouldn't it?" The masked figure dropped their hand and took a bow. "But now, my dear Miss Akemi, I must bid you adieu." And with that, they left.

Shiro shuddered. Whoever this 'Mask' fellow was, she really didn't like them. From behind her, Shiro heard a voice ask "Visit from Mask already?"

She turned around, and found Ayano standing behind her. "Yes. Have they been speaking to everyone they meet?"

The cloaked girl nodded. "Yeah. Went to look for other people to avoid them." She paused, taking a quick glance around. "Caught the tail end of the conversation. So you're an exorcist?"

"Yes, I am. What are you, Ayano? I did not get a chance to ask you when we first met." Shiro was betting that Ayano was something that required sneaking around. Her current best guess was either Ultimate Thief or Ultimate Spy, maybe Ultimate Assassin.

Ayano adjusted the bandana over her mouth and nose. "Sniper."

That certainly wasn't what Shiro was expecting. She made a quick note to never get on Ayano's bad side. She really, really didn't want to find herself in Ayano's crosshairs. "Sniper? So are you military?"

Ayano didn't meet Shiro's eyes. "... Yeah. Let's go with that."

Shiro had a feeling Ayano was lying. But before she could press the matter further, she was interrupted by laughter. At first, she thought that Mask was back. Turning to the source of the laughter, she felt her heart sink. It wasn't Mask. In the center of the courtyard was a wooden object, almost like a podium. And standing atop the podium was a bear. One side of the bear was white, with an almost cute expression. The other was black, with sharp teeth, and a glowing red eye.

"Upupupu!"


	2. The Curtain Rises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (made an edit to this on 10/24/19, changing the way the chapter ends.)

"Upupupu!"

Shiro didn't like that laugh. It was distinctly unnatural, in a way that sent chills down her spine. Ayano's voice had had the same effect, but the bear's laugh freaked Shiro out more than anything the sniper could do would.

After it stopped laughing, the bear looked around at the seventeen people staring at it with mixed expressions. Some were confused. Some almost looked annoyed. And some looked at the bear with horror. For a few brief moments, there was nothing but silence. Until someone yelled out at the bear.

"Hey! You gonna say somethin', or are ya gonna just stand there 'n look at us like an idiot!"

The source of the shouting was the same girl Shiro had spotted her sister talking to earlier. She was small, maybe not even clearing five feet. As she yelled, she had clenched her fists as though she was going to go and strike the bear.

The bear laughed again. "Aren't you scary! Who are you again, anyways?"

The blue-haired girl growled. "My name's Natsuki Tachibana. I'm a boxer. You wanna break something, come fuck with me."

"Well, miss Natsuki, how about you put those little fists away and let me talk! Or else there'll be consequences~"

Natsuki looked like she was about to completely disregard the bear's comment about consequences, but she crossed her arms and huffed. "Fine. Second you're done though, we're gonna throw down. I might be short but I ain't weak."

The bear giggled, and looked around again. "Welcome, Ultimates, to Castle Despair! I am Monokuma, and I'm the reason you're all here! I have prepared this castle for all seventeen of you to spend the rest of your lives in together!"

The grin on the black side of the bear widened. "Of course, some of you might want to go home! That's natural, don't be ashamed! But you see, Castle Despair is on an island. Although one of you is an Ultimate Sailor, there are no boats on this island! So you see, you're trapped... under one condition."

The bear giggled. "That condition? Kill someone! Murder one of your fellow Ultimates and get away with it! It won't be easy, of course. After someone gets murdered, we'll hold a trial to figure out who did it. Get caught, you get executed! Don't get caught, everyone else gets executed and you go home!"

"That's insane! Do you honestly expect us to kill each other?" called out a voice. The source was a tall girl with dark red hair and a gray hoodie. This was Shiro's older sister, Akuma Akemi. She was an inventor - a genius one, at that. Akuma pulled the goggles she wore atop her head over her eyes, still keeping her gaze focused on Monokuma. "I don't know about everybody else here, but I know I wouldn't kill anyone just over goin' home! And I bet everyone else feels the same way!"

Murmured agreement could be heard throughout the crowd. Even Natsuki, who Shiro had pegged as probably one of the more violent people around, nodded. This just made Monokuma laugh.

"Killing each other over going home? Oh, I'm sure if I left you alone for long enough, that would end up happening. But you see, I'm a very, very impatient bear. So, I'm going to be giving you motives! Maybe I'll threaten to tell everyone your deepest, darkest secrets. Maybe I'll tempt you with something you absolutely HAVE to know. Maybe I'll starve you all! The possibilities are endless... and they'll all be oh-so-cruel!"

Monokuma took a bow. "And now, the stage is set! Until next time, my little killing machines!" With that, he hopped down behind the podium and disappeared.

Shiro shivered. She glanced around the courtyard, trying to get a quick assessment of who to stay away from. She spotted a small, dark-haired girl dressed in black lurking in a corner - that was probably her cousin, Charlotte. Others that stuck out in her mind were a green-haired figure wearing a black surgical mask, a tall boy with long red hair, and a girl wearing a blue mask that resembled a spider. Shiro was brought out of her thoughts suddenly by the sensation of a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she was met with her older sister's pale red eyes, and a cheerful grin.

"Heya Shi! Didn't realize you were around 'til I spotted that hair of yours." As she talked, Akuma reached out and ruffled Shiro's hair.

Just looking at the two Akemi girls, it would probably be hard to tell that they were sisters. Akuma was tall, with dark red hair and a perpetual friendly smile. Everyone adored her. In contrast, Shiro was maybe average height, with snowy white hair and a reputation for being more than a little bit frosty. She'd never had many friends. The only thing they shared were red eyes.

Of course, maybe it would be easier to see that Akuma and Shiro were sisters if the former didn't keep dying her hair different colors. Akuma's hair hadn't been its natural white in a long time - as far as Shiro remembered, the last time Akuma's hair was mostly white was when her older sister was twelve.

Shiro spotted Akuma glancing over at a corner. "Hey, Char, c'mere! What's the point of bein' out here if you're just gonna lurk in that dark corner all day?"

The girl lurking in the corner approached with a nervous smile. "H-hi." This was Charlotte Akemi, Shiro and Akuma's cousin. If it was hard to tell that Akuma and Shiro were sisters, it was even harder to tell that Charlotte was related to them. Charlotte was small, with long-ish fluffy hair as black as a nightmare. In contrast to Akuma and Shiro's red, Charlotte's eyes were a soft lavender.

The trio's conversation - if it could even be called that - was interrupted by someone clapping. Mask had taken up residence near the podium, and had managed to get everyone's attention with just a single clap. Shiro had to admit, she was almost impressed by that. The key word being almost. She still didn't like Mask.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Mask. In the interest of making sure that we get to know one another better, I think it might be a good idea to introduce ourselves! Your name and your talent, and whatever else you find necessary. Of course, you don't get to know my talent just yet."

Suddenly, Shiro had an idea. She muttered a quick goodbye to her cousin and her sister, and slipped through one of the wooden doors. Everyone else could introduce themselves as much as they wanted, but Shiro definitely wasn't going to stick around for that. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her vest, Shiro took a quick look around. She had a feeling that she'd managed to go through the door that had led her to the courtyard in the first place. To be fair, that was a good thing. She almost wished she had a notebook and a pen so that she could sketch out a map of this place. Maybe she could get something to draw on from one of the rooms in this place.

"Not sticking around for introductions?"

Shiro almost jumped out of her skin when she heard someone behind her. She turned around, resisting the urge to let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was only Ayano. "Why should I stay? I already know who the two people I can trust are. Hearing everyone else introduce themselves is nothing but a waste of my time."

Ayano tilted her head. "Two people? What happens if those two turn on you?"

Shiro shrugged. "Then I have been a fool, and the price for my foolishness will be my own blood. Yet I doubt they will. One of them is my sister, and the other one... well, she is too weak to do anything of the sort."

Ayano remained silent for a few moments, staring right into Shiro's eyes. Shiro had a feeling that eye contact was something the sniper did a lot. Now that she thought about it, the only time Ayano had spoken to her without making direct, uncomfortable eye contact was when she'd asked if Ayano's sniping was in a military context. The sniper silently adjusted her bandana, before finally speaking again.

"Don't underestimate people. Blood turns on blood faster than you think."

Shiro felt a twinge of frustration. "And how do you know that, Ayano?"

Ayano raised an eyebrow. "Using my first name already?"

Shiro could feel her cheeks go hot, and realized that she was probably blushing. "I don't know your last name! What else am I supposed to call you?!" In the heat of her emotions, she hadn't noticed that Ayano had dodged the question completely.

"Shimizu. I know yours is Akemi. Still calling you Shiro. Formalities like that are just a waste of time."

Shiro crossed her arms. "Fine then, Shimizu-san. Why did you follow me, anyways?"

Ayano seemed to shrug underneath her cloak. "You talk to me. And you're not freaking out about this whole killing game deal. Someone who's freaking out is more likely to turn on me in a moment of panic. Sticking around with you is the most logical course of action. Besides, if people think I have a friend, they'll be less likely to go after me. Simple strategy."

Shiro was actually surprised. That was the most she'd heard Ayano say since they'd met. She wondered again if Ayano really was affiliated with some military. Maybe she wasn't. Maybe she was a contract killer who preferred to kill by sniping, or maybe she was a mercenary. Though in all honesty, it didn't matter. As long as she wasn't in Ayano's crosshairs, everything was fine. "... Oh well. I do not dislike you, so you can continue following me if you wish."

Ayano nodded without saying anything.

Shiro finally turned away from the sniper, looking down the hallway. "I wish I had a notebook and a pen, so I could make a map of this place..."

"I have both of those things. I can make a map." Ayano said quietly. Shiro glanced back at her and shrugged.

"Do it. It might be a good idea to see if we can find a way to give copies of the map to the other Ultimates."

Ayano nodded again, pulling a notebook and a pen out from somewhere in her cloak. Shiro turned back to the hallway and started strolling down. She didn't quite trust Ayano yet, but she felt like the sniper didn't have any desire to hurt her, so she wasn't too uncomfortable turning her back to her. Taking a breath, Shiro began the slow process of exploring the castle.


End file.
